The Energy and Efficiency Industrial Partnership brings together 67 employers with a goal of filling the training and skills void in the power, gas, water, renewable and waste management industries by delivering around 70,000 new learning opportunities including apprenticeships and traineeships.
South West Water Chief Executive Chris Loughlin said: “Harnessing the energy and developing the talents of young people today is crucial for business success tomorrow. We fully support this new national partnership which will help to plug the skills gap and provide a steady supply of trained talent for employers.
“At South West Water, our workforce and supply chain partners are critical to providing essential water and sewerage services for our customers. Just as we plan our infrastructure requirements many years ahead, we also work closely with skills and education providers, and with our industry partners, to design our people requirements and create exciting career opportunities for future recruits.
“We believe in sharing our experience across the industry for the benefit of our customers and another way we are doing this is by supporting the development of South Devon’s new University Technical College, which will specialise in engineering, water and the environment for 14-18 year olds.”
The partnership, the biggest Government scheme of its type, is supported by Energy and Utility Skills (EU Skills), the National Skills Academy for Power and other employers including National Grid, British Gas and E.ON UK. The employers will match the Government’s £33million investment into the partnership, which will fund increased training to ensure the industry has the right quantity, quality and diversity of new recruits.
South West Water will soon recruit its 50th apprentice as it completes the search for eight new trainees. The new intake will exceed this milestone and bring the number of apprentices recruited by the company since 2011 to 54.
The first two female operational apprentices in their field at South West Water were recruited last year and eight apprentices are now permanent employees after completing their training.
Finance Support Analyst Josh Naden, who started as an apprentice in 2012, said: “It’s good to see how South West Water is promoting the benefits apprentices can provide to an organisation, as well as the development opportunities which go hand-in-hand with the apprenticeships. It is also good to see how the hard work and commitment displayed by apprentices is being recognised and rewarded in the form of permanent positions within the company.”
